RONALD DIX

Ronald William Dix was born 12 September 1912  and died 2 April 1998.

On 3 March 1928, Bristol Rovers striker Ronnie Dix, became the Football League's youngest goalscorer when he found the net at the age of 15 years, 180 days. 

Playing with Bristol Schools, he made his club debut as an amateur. Dix was born in Bristol and scored his record-setting goal in a Third Division South match against Norwich City, which Rovers won 3-0. It was one of the few highlights for his club that season as they finished 19th out of 22 teams. 

Dix remained with Bristol until 1932, making 100 league appearances and scoring a total of 33 goals. He then played for Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Derby County, Tottenham Hotspur, and Reading before retiring in 1949 (he also earned one cap for England in 1939). He remains the Football League's youngest goalscorer. 

Everton FC bid for Dix and his teammateCliff in May 1930, Britton went on 3 June, Dix did not. Blackburn Rovers FC had also offered £3000 for the pair. The Toffee's made a second attempt in May 1931 in an affair that changed the purpose of the transfer system. Dix had promised to join Everton FC at the end of the 1930-31 season, but his club, Bristol Rovers FC refused to honour the agreement that Everton FC state they entered into. Rovers were made to pay all legal costs after failing to provide evidence to the contrary. The Football League were then told that all transfers were not considered final until the League Committee had been notified of any transfer and that all contract agreements must written down as evidence. Dix did leave Rovers, a year later, after a hundred league appearances and 33 goals, when he joined Blackburn Rovers FC on 9 May 1932 for £3000. Another year, and he joined Aston Villa FC in May 1933 and 97 league appearances and thirty goals later, moved onto Derby County AFC in February 1937 and followed with 94 league appearances and 35 league goals. Transferred to Tottenham Hotspur FC in June 1939 and throughout WWII, he was playing for Blackpool FC. Left White Hart Lane for Reading FC on 6 November 1947 before retiring at the end of the 1948-49 season.

He won one full England international cap scoring against Norway.

During World War 2, Dix guested for clubs including Bristol City, Chester, Blackpool, Bradford Park Avenue, Wrexham, York City and Liverpool. He retired from playing in 1949 and died in April 1998 at the age of 85.

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1928–1932	Bristol Rovers	100	(33)
1932–1933	Blackburn Rovers
1933–1937	Aston Villa	97	(30)
1937–1939	Derby County	94	(35)
1939–1947	Tottenham Hotspur
1947–1949	Reading
International career
1938	England	1	(1)

Arsenal gave a debut to Ethan Nwaneri, aged 15 and 181 days, on 19th Sept 2022, against Brentford to break the English Premier League's record as he came on a as a last minute substitute in Arsenal's 3-0 win. Nwaneri – younger than Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium!! – was born in 2007. The Arsenal club record for the youngest player to make their debut in a competitive fixture was previously held by Cesc Fàbregas (16 years, 177 days) while he takes over from Jack Wilshere (16 years, 256 days) as the youngest player to play a league match for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta showed faith in Nwaneri to step up to the first team after some impressive performances for the Arsenal under-18 side, and his appearance came just a week after the British record was broken by Northern Irish schoolboy Christopher Atherton, who became the youngest senior footballer in the United Kingdom when he played for Glenavon aged 13 years, 329 days old.